Siliguri: Two female students, including a teenager, were injured after being hit by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), near Kurseong market on Monday. The 15-year-old injured girl, Roshni Rai, is in critical condition. The other injured student is Pratiksha Rai, 19. Both are residents of Makaibari tea estate in Kurseong.
Pratiksha sustained minor injuries, but Roshni suffered injuries to her lower body and was referred to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for further treatment. This marks the fifth such incident since March 2022.
DHR Director Rishav Choudhary stated that the students were using headphones while walking, which prevented them from hearing the train's whistle. The incident occurred at approximately 12:40 pm when the two students inadvertently moved sideways into a Siliguri-bound train from Darjeeling. He further asserted that the railways were not at fault, though the incident was unfortunate.
"According to the locomotive pilot, he blew the whistle several times, but the students were using headphones and could not hear it, which led to them colliding with the train sideways. Pratiksha sustained minor injuries, but Roshni suffered injuries to her lower body. The train runs at a normal speed of around 10 km per hour, particularly when navigating a curve. We will work to raise awareness about the DHR, as people tend to take it for granted due to its low speed, forgetting that it is a machine and can be dangerous," said Choudhary.
The last incident was reported on 12 June last year when a 16-year-old, Surya Routh, died under the wheels of a toy train in Kurseong. On 6 June the same year, a woman named Sita Routh was struck by a train near St Anthony School on the outskirts of Kurseong. On 13 February 2023, a 70-year-old man, Khadga Bahadur Tamang, a resident of Tindharia Tea Estate, died after being hit by a train. On 28 March 2022, a man was fatally run over while crossing the tracks at Dagapur on the outskirts of Siliguri.
Meanwhile, 31 Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the country are scheduled to visit the DHR for a study tour in the third week of April. "We have received the names of 31 MPs so far, who will be visiting the DHR for a study tour on 17 April. The MPs will engage in an informal discussion with the General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway and the Chairman & Managing Director of IRCON on the topic ‘Expansion of the rail network in the North East and Union Territories,' with particular emphasis on the Sivok-Rangpo Railway line project. There will also be discussions on ‘Promotion of railway-based tourism.' The MPs will depart the following morning on 18 April," he added.
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